Mana Ashida

is a Japanese actress, talent and singer. Her first appearance was in Asahi Broadcasting Corporation's ABC Short Movie 2, though she rose to prominence after acting in the television drama Mother. She became the youngest lead star in Japanese drama history when she starred in Sayonara Bokutachi no Youchien. She was the youngest lead actress in a television serial drama by appearing in the serial drama Marumo no Okite in the spring of 2011. She also appeared in Japanese films such as Confessions and Bunny Drop.

Ashida and her co-actor Fuku Suzuki sang the 2011 hit song "Maru Maru Mori Mori", the theme song for the television drama Marumo no Okite.

Career Early career Ashida made her debut appearance in Asahi Broadcasting Corporation's ABC Short Movie 2. Bokenmama in 2009. Her first film was the live-action film adaptation of the manga Hanbun no Tsuki ga Noboru Sora in 2010. She also appeared in the film Ghost: In Your Arms Again, a Japanese remake of the 1990 film Ghost. For her role in this film, she became one of the winners of the "Rookie of the Year" Award at the 34th Japan Academy Awards. At the age of 6, Ashida became the youngest lead actress in a Japanese television drama in the special television drama movie Sayonara Bokutachi no Youchien in 2011. In the spring drama season, she became the youngest actress in a drama series when she starred in the television drama Marumo no Okite. The series received a viewership rating of 23.9% for its last episode, and an average rating of 15.48% for its entire run.

She made her singing debut with Suzuki. They sang Marumo no Okite's theme song, "", under the temporary group name of . which made the duo the youngest group in history to achieve a top-10 position on the Oricon charts. The previous record was set by the group in 2006. On 14 August 2011, Ashida appeared in the NHK music television program Music Japan with Suzuki, actress Nozomi Ohashi and actor Seishiro Kato. It was the first time all three appeared in the same show, in its segment entitled "MJ Summer Holidays: Children's Special".

In early 2011, Ashida appeared in several Japanese films, including Inu to Anata no Monogatari, and Hankyū Densha. and was widely praised for her performance. The film's director, Sabu, praised her, saying that her laughter "was always echoing throughout the set, creating a peaceful atmosphere inside the set". The Japan Times reviewer Mark Schilling said that she "seamlessly accomplishes her evolution from forlorn waif to perky if unusually perceptive kid, while effortlessly charming everyone". Mana Ashida won the "Best Newcomer" award at the 54th Blue Ribbon Awards. She was the youngest person to receive this award, beating the 1983 record set by actress Tomoyo Harada.

In October 2011, Ashida began co-hosting the NTV variety and talk show Meringue no Kimochi with the show's long-time hosts, Masami Hisamoto and Asako Ito. This made her the youngest regular host of a talk or variety show.

On 15 September 2011, it was announced that Ashida would make her solo music debut with Universal Music. She released her first single with them in October 2011, and her debut album in late 2011. The album contained songs that "Mama (Mana's mother) wants Mana-chan to sing". It debuted at the 4th position on the Oricon weekly charts. This made Mana Ashida the youngest solo artist to rank in the Oricon weekly TOP10 charts at 7 years and 4 months old, breaking the previous record of 13 years old set by Kumiko Goto in 1987.

Ashida's debut album, entitled Happy Smile!, was released in Japan on 23 November 2011. She beat the previous record of 13 years and 8 months set in 1974 by Canadian singer Rene Simard.

2012–present Ashida voiced the female lead character of Annie in the Japanese anime film adaptation of the Magic Tree House series in the first role in a 2012 film. She performed the theme song of the anime series Jewelpet Kira☆Deco!. The song, entitled "Zutto Zutto Tomodachi", was also used in the 2012 anime film Jewelpet the Movie: Sweets Dance Princess. Ashida also appeared in the film, as Princess Mana. The song was released as a single on 16 May 2012, and reached number 17 on the Oricon Weekly Singles Charts.

Ashida starred as Miu Kinoshita, the daughter of a single father who suffered from juvenile Alzheimer's disease, in Fuji Television's summer drama series Beautiful Rain.

On 27 December 2012, she held her first solo concert at the Curian Shinagawa General Citizen Hall in Tokyo.

Ashida made her Hollywood debut playing the role of young Mako Mori in the 2013 film Pacific Rim.

Ashida also appeared in a Celebrity Kids Edition of the Japanese version of the show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire on 2 January 2013. She won the top prize, ¥1,000,000, and became the youngest top prize winner in the Millionaire franchise.

In 2014, Ashida starred in the television series Ashita, Mama ga Inai as Post, a child abandoned at birth at a baby hatch. In 2015, she starred in Rugged! as a 10-year-old company president in her first lead role in a NHK television drama.

Personal life Ashida was born on 23 June 2004 in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture She loves cycling unicycles and reads over 60 books per month.

In April 2017, Ashida was accepted into Keio Junior High school, one of the most top-notch Junior High schools in the Greater Tokyo Area, after passing the entrance exam. In March 2023, Ashida graduated from Keio Girls Senior High School. In April of the same year, she was accepted into Keio University faculty of law.

In March 2025, Ashida was appointed as a goodwill ambassador for climate change at the United Nations Development Programme. Filmography Films Hanbun no Tsuki ga Noboru Sora (2010) as Mirai Natsume Confessions (2010) as Manami Moriguchi Ghost: In Your Arms Again (2010) as the child ghost Inu to Anata no Monogatari (2011) as Mana Hankyū Densha (2011) as Ami Hagiwara Bunny Drop (2011) as Rin Kaga Jewelpet the Movie: Sweets Dance Princess (2012) as the voice of Princess Mana Nobo no Shiro (2012) as Chidori Pacific Rim (2013) as Mako Mori in her childhood Kujikenaide (2013) as Toyo Shibata in her childhood Entaku (2014) as Kotoko Uzuhara Takayuki Yamada 3D The Movie (2017) Pokémon the Movie: The Power of Us (2018) as the voice of Margo Children of the Sea (2019) as the voice of Ruka Azumi Under the Stars (2020) as Chihiro Poupelle of Chimney Town (2020) as the voice of Lubicchi The House of the Lost on the Cape (2021) as the voice of Yui BL Metamorphosis (2022) as Urara Sayama Lonely Castle in the Mirror (2022) as the voice of Ōkami-sama Cells at Work! (2024) as Niko Urushizaki Not Me That Went Viral (2025) as Sakura Scarlet (2025) as the voice of Scarlet Mystery Arena (2026) as Ichiko

Television dramas ABC Short Movie 2: Daibokenmama (2009, ABC) Ketto! Rojinto (2009, Wowow) Tokujo Kabachi!! (2010, TBS, episode 3) Mother (14 April – 23 June 2010, NTV) – Rena Michiki / Tsugumi Suzuhara Toilet no Kamisama (5 January 2011, MBS, based on Kana Uemura's song "Toilet no Kamisama") – Kana Uemura (childhood) Gō (2011, NHK) – Chacha (Childhood), Sen (Childhood) Sayonara Bokutachi no Youchien (30 March 2011, NTV) – Kanna Yamazaki Marumo no Okite (24 April – 3 July 2011, CX) – Kaoru Sasakura Hanazakari no Kimitachi e (10 July 2011, CX, episode 1) – Kaoru Sasakura (guest) Kono Sekai no Katasumi ni (5 August 2011, NTV) – Chizuru Hojo Honto ni Atta Kowai Hanashi (2011 Summer Season Special) (2011) Marumo no Okite Special (2011) – Kaoru Sasakura Nankyoku Tairiku (2011) – Haruka Furudate. Alice in Liar Game (2012, Spinoff of Liar Game: Saisei film) – Alice. Beautiful Rain (2012) – Miu Kinoshita Ashita, Mama ga Inai (2014) – Post Gin Nikan (2014) – Otetsu Maho (childhood) Hana-chan no Miso Soup (2014) – Hana Yasutake Rugged! (2015) – Noa Fukami Manpuku (2018–19) – narrator Awaiting Kirin (2020–21) – Akechi Tama The Greatest Teacher (2023) – Kanau Ugumori Totto no Ketsuraku Seishun-ki (2025) – Tetsuko Kuroyanagi Kataomoi (2026) – Yui The Apothecary Diaries (2028) – Maomao

Japanese dub Despicable Me (2010) as Agnes Aftershock (2010) as young Fang Deng Despicable Me 2 (2013) as Agnes The Peanuts Movie (2015) as Little Red-Haired Girl Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) as Madison Russell Godzilla vs. Kong (2021) as Madison Russell

Variety Meringue (1 October 2011 – 31 March 2012, NTV) – co-host with Hisamoto Masami and Ito Asako

Discography Singles Year No. Title Notes Chart position OriconWeeklySinglesChart Billboard JapanHot100* RIAJDigitalTrackChart 2011 1 "Maru Maru Mori Mori!" Collaboration with Fuku Suzuki; theme song of drama Marumo no Okite 2 2 "Sutekina Nichiyōbi (Gyu Gyu Good Day)" First solo single 4 2012 3 "Zutto Zutto Tomodachi" Theme song of Jewelpet Kira Deco! 16 2014 5 "Fight!!/ Yuuki" Theme song of the 81st edition of The Nationwide Contest of Music sponsored by NHK 30 6 "Maru Maru Mori Mori! 2014" Collaboration with Fuku Suzuki; theme song of drama Marumo no Okite SP 2014 50

Albums Happy Smile! (Universal Music, 23 November 2011) 65th The Television Drama Academy Awards: Best Newcomer for Mother 14th Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix: Best Supporting Actress for Mother

2011 34th Japan Academy Film Prize: Rookie of the Year for Ghost: In Your Arms Again 2011 Tokyo Drama Awards: Best Performance by an Actress for Marumo no Okite and Sayonara Bokutachi no Youchien 53rd Japan Record Award: Special Award for Maru Maru Mori Mori! 54th Blue Ribbon Awards: Best Newcomer for Hankyū Densha and Usagi Drop